Train booster



ec. 25, 1945. J. E. TAVELlN I 2,391,657

TRAIN BOOSTER Filed March 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l f? II /I '"l D Jail/l U R I J" .5 57 gwua/wtom LIE. TiVEfiH Dec. 25, 1945. J. E. TAVELIN 2,391,657

TRAIN BOOSTER Filed March 21, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 grwam fov JEI Tat/ebb Patented Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAIN BOOSTER Jacob Erhard Tavelin, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Application March 21, 1944, Serial No. 527,469

(fill. 105-31) 9 Claims.

I'his invention relates to a device in the nature of an attachment for a railroad locomotive, by means of which the inertia of a standing train can be effectively overcome and the train started independently or supplementary to the traction of the locomotives driving wheels.

The object of the invention is to "provide an improved and simplified device in the nature of a train booster which can be readily applied to locomotives now in use and which can be operated by the engineer from his regular position in thelocomotive, by which the train can be initially started by means of a positive driving connection with the rails.

The invention consists in'the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the rear-end of a railroad locomotive with the devices of the present invention in operative position on the rails;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the improved train booster;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the improved device;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section through the device of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a rear-end view of the device;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an alternative 4 arrangement for attachment of the device to the locomotive; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 6.

In accordance with the present invention, and referring to Figures 1 1:05, a double-acting fluid jack I, which may be of any improved construction and the details of which are not herein illustrated, is provided having forwardly extending spaced flanges 6, by means of which it can be attached to the rear of the locomotive L by a horizontal pivot pin 2 passing through a suitable lug 5 provided on'the locomotive, so that the jack l is rotatable in a vertical plane with respect to the locomotive and is positioned to extend rearwardly of the locomotive over one of the rails R. The piston 4 of the jack is splined with respect to the cylinder as by spline 40 and spline groove 4!, so as to prevent rotation of the piston with respect to the cylinder, and its forward end 8 is connected as by a rule joint and pivot pin 9, with a heavy metal block '8, which block is formed with a longitudinally extending channel H and interiorly directed lugs I2, so as to seat over and ride upon the head of a rail R. The rear-end of block l is formed with two spaced rearwardly extending arms l3l3-which are adapted to slide in guideways formed in a second heavy block l5, which is similarly channeled and provided within the channel with spaced guide portions l6-I6. The block I is also provided with a rearwardly extending lug 20 which may be either welded to or formed integrally with the block l and the rear-end of which extends over the block 115 and is secured thereto as by bolt 2!, which passes through a longitudinally extending slot 22 in the top portion of the block l5.

The rearwardly positioned block is further provided in the side walls of the channel with cam seats I9 within which are pivoted by vertical pivot pins the double ended cams I! which are preferably formed with arcuate bearing faces 28 adapted to seat against similarly curved bearing faces formed in connection with the cams seats so that the thrust between the cams and the block I5 11 be direct rather than through the pivot pin I 8. The rear-ends ll of the cams I! are pref rably spurred or knurled so as to assure locking engagement with the sides of the rail head wheri forced into engagement therewith. The rear-ends of the rearwardly extending arms l3-l3 are beveled as at M, so that when the forwardly positioned channel block 1 is forced rearwardly against block IS the arms l3-l3 will engage the forward ends of the cams ll-ll and positively rock said cams into looking engagement with the rail head. This camoperating motion of block 1 with respect to block I5 is restricted {by reason of the lost motion con nection between block I and block l5, through the connection by bolt 2| passing through slot 22 in the top of block l5.

By reason of the splining of the piston rod 4 with respect to the jack l and the horizontal pivotal connections between the end of the piston rod 4 and the block 1 and between the forward end of the jack cylinder I and the locomotive, it will be apparent that the jack l and the connected blocks 1 and I5 can be raised in a vertical plane from engagement with the rails when desired, and to enable the engineer to control the position of the device from the cab the rear-end of the jack I may be connected as by a single acting fluid jack 25 connected to the rear-end of jack l and having its piston 26 connected to the rear of the locomotive L above the pivotal connection 2 of jack I. The fluid pressure will be conducted to jack I from the locomotive cab as through tube 3 and fluid pressure can be conducted to jack 25 as through tube 21. The valves controlling the jacks l and 25 will be conveniently positioned tothe engineer.

In operation, the train being at a standstill, the engineer will operate Jack 25 to lower jack I and the attached blocks 1 and I5 so that the\l blocks will restover the rails R. Thereafter, by applying fluid pressure to jack 1, the operation of piston 4 will be on its first outward thrust to force back block 1, thereby, during its initial movement, positively engaging cams I! into looking engagement with the railhead and the remainder of the thrust being directed directly from block I through block l5 against the rail, thus forcing the locomotive and attached train forward the length of the efiective stroke of lack piston rod 4. Upon the return stroke of the Diston rod 4, the blocks 1 and I5 will be drawn forward, the pivoted cams l'l-li automatically releasing their grip upon the rail, and this action will be repeated until the locomotive and train have acquired sufficient momentum to permit the locomotive's drive wheels to properly traction on the rails. Thereupon, the engineer can, by operating the control of the fluid pressure to lifting lack 25, raise Jack I and the associated blocks 1 and I5 so that they will be entirely free of the rails.

Figs. 6 and '7 show an alternative arrangement for connecting the rail gripping devices l5 to the locomotive and consists in connecting the block l5 to the lower end of a lever 34, the upper end of which is pivotally connected as at 33 to a horizontally extending lever 30, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the locomotive L as at 32 above the pivotal connection 2 connecting operating Jack I with the locomotive. The piston 4 of Jack I is pivotally connected medially of lever 34 by a pivot 35. The upper or horizontal lever 30 is medially connected as by pivot 3| to the lifting jack 25, the piston 25 of which is connected to the locomotive as by pivot 38.

With this arrangement it will be noted that the driving or operating Jack I will exert its thrust medially of lever 34 and through lever 34 to the rail gripping members. It will also be noted that the lifting jack 25 is positioned to lift the lever operating Jack I and rail gripping members 5 or with respect to the rail when the device is not required.

Various modifications in the precise construction of the parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of the present invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Booster for railroad trains comprising blocks 60 channeled to seat over a rail, cam members in one of the blocks with their rail engaging faces oppositely disposed and inwardly directed toward the channel to engage opposite sides of a rail therein, the other block having parts extending into the first mentioned block to operatively engage the cam members, a lost motion connection between the blocks and jack means interposed between the cam operating block and the locomotive.

2. Booster for railroad trains comprising blocks channeled to seat over a rail, cam members pivoted on opposite sides of the channel in one of the blocks, the other block having members slidable within the first mentioned blockto operate 7 the came into rail engaging position, a lost mo-' tion connection between the blocks, a double action hydraulic jack pivotally connected with the cam operating block and means for connecting the jack with a locomotive.

3. Booster for railroad trains comprising channeled blocks adapted to seat over a rail, one of said blocks formed with oppositely disposed cam seats in the channel walls with guideways extending from said cam seats to the front end of said block, cams pivoted in said cam seats, the other block formed with rearwardly extending arms adapted to slide in the guideways to engage and operate the cams, a lost motion connection between the blocks and Jack means interposed between the cam operating block and a locomotive.

4. Booster for railroad trains comprising channeled blocks adapted to seat slidingly over a rail, one of said blocks formed with oppositely disposed cam seats in the channel walls, with guideways extending from said cam seats to the forward end of the block, cams pivoted in the cam seats, the other block formed with rearwardly extending arms adapted to slide in the guideways to engage and operate the cams, a double acting fluid jack a lost motion connection between the blocks and the double acting fluid Jack with connections between the forward end of the cam operating block and the jack and between the jack and the locomotive articulating said mem bers for limited motion in a vertical plane only.

5. Booster for railroad trains comprising channeled blocks adapted to seat slidingly over a raiz, one of said blocks formed with oppositely disposed cam seats in the channel walls, with guideways extending from said cam seats to the forward end of the block, cams pivoted in the cam seats, the other block formed with rearwardly ex tending arms adapted to slide in the guideways to engage and operate the cams, a lost motion connection between the blocks, a double acting fluid jack comprising a cylinder and piston, with the piston splined to prevent rotation with respect to the cylinder and pivotal connections between the forward end of the cam operating block and the jack and between the jack and the locomotive articulating said members for limited motion in a vertical plane only.

6. Booster for railroad trains comprising channeled blocks adapted to seat slidingly over a rail. one of said blocks formed with oppositely disposed cam seats in the channel walls, with guideways extending from said cam seats to the for ward end of the block, cams pivoted in the cam seats, the other block formed with rearwardly extending arms adapted to slide in the guideways to engage and operate the cams, a lost motion connection between the blocks, a. double acting fluid jack comprising a cylinder and piston with the piston splinded to prevent rotation with respect to the cylinder, pivotal connections between the forward end of the cam operating block and the jack and between the jack and the locomotive articulating said members for limited motion in a vertical plane only and means connectin the jack with the locomotive for lifting the jack and associated blocks vertically.

7. Booster for railroad trains comprising rail gripping members, a Jack pivotally connected to the rear-end of the locomotive and means connecting the jack and rail gripping member to operate said members to rail engaging position and thereafter exert the 'full thrust of the jack against the locomotive, including levers pivotally the Jack means operatively connected medially of one of said levers and lifting means connecting the other of said levers with the locomotive adapted to raise and lower said levers and rail gripping members relative to the rails.

9. The device of claim 8 in which the device for raising and lowering the rail gripping members comprises a fluid jack connecting the other of the levers with the locomotive at a point above the pivotal connection of that lever with the locomotive.

JACOB ERHARD TAVELIN. 

